A Magnificent Bastard

If you're a wolf, be a wolf… Real men don't play games or need to lie in order to get something from a woman. Man up. Be honest. Be real and make your intentions for the relationship clear from the beginning.

Brandon Alexander, New Age Gents

When you think of a Gentleman, you think of a good man who’s dedicated to positive endeavors, has impeccable manners, dresses to impress, and has sworn his undying love to a single person. This is true, that man probably is a Gentleman, but not all gentlemen are like that.

I have met gentlemen who don’t focus on social justice, they just make sure not to hurt others and that’s more than enough for them. I have met gentlemen who don’t know the nuances of social etiquette, yet their attention for others more than compensate for that lack of education. I have met blue collar gentlemen, and have met gents who have no interest in establishing any formal relationship. I have even met gentlemen who exemplify the Gentleman-Rogue, and being a rogue doesn’t make them any less of a gentleman. Gentlemen are defined by their honorable acts and honesty of self, so how can you say that a man who is open and honest about not being a “good” man be considered any less of a gentleman?

All too often men assume that they have to lie about who they are, as they walk around as wolves in sheep’s clothing. They assume that they must play “the game” as the only way to live is by manipulating others. Many actually believe they ARE good men, rationalizing why they would stab someone in the back.

But what if you didn’t need to stab someone in the back, to manipulate others, to live a hypocritical “good” life, one you truly don’t believe in? Doing good acts that you don’t believe in, just to impress others is, in truth, lying to those around you. That’s little more than an open manipulation of those around you. Why not simply be honest? Why not drop the sheep’s cloak and be the man you are?

This attitude is nothing new as every society has had its share of Gentlemen Rogues and Lotharios who live under an informal code based on the ideals of “Honor among Thieves.” Not every man is looking to save the world nor is looking for the love of his life. Some men are just looking to carve a nook for themselves and those around them. Some men are just looking to find that special person for that one night. Some men who think like this have the balls to be honest about it.

And isn’t that in a way respectable? No games, nor lies, just a wolf who isn’t ashamed of being a wolf. A man who will openly speak of his intentions, one who lays his cards on the table, one who isn’t afraid standing before you with a sword drawn when he calls you out, one who openly speaks his mind. In a way, these men are viewed as a lot more dangerous by society, as they let everyone know about another way of living, as they have little interests in impressing others as they live in honest addition of who they are, while holding themselves up to a strict personal code of honor. These are the men who are wrong in all the right ways. People might think of them as bastards, but they are Magnificent Bastards.